Help with air conditioning

[44man]

I shut everything in the fall before we need heat.
I just changed the filter and it is all black mold. The air handler is in the attic with plastic hoses to each room. Only place moisture can come from is house air.
Is there anything I can spray with the fan on to kill it all?
It gets worse every year.

[Superfly]

try sparaying bleach

[Jeffrey]

If what you are dealing with is really "black mold" check this out:

http://www.toxic-black-mold-info.com/moldclean.htm

I've been doing HVAC for 25 years. "Black mold" is nothing to mess with. Good luck.
Jeffrey

[Old Caster]

In this day and age everyone is overblowing things that are supposed to be dangerous like our use of lead, carbon monoxide and dioxide plus plus ad infinitum, but mold is a serious one. Make sure you do whatever is necessary to get rid of it and if you or anyone in the family comes up with a tickle cough that is persistant, leave until it is fixed. Information from the net will be your best ally to do it yourself. Unless it is completely eliminated, it will continue to come back quickly and get worse and worse. -- Bill --

[Bob Krack]

44man,

My best experience with MOLD (not mould) removal has been with the strongest distilled vinegar you can find - 7% or stronger. ESPECIALLY on porous surfaces. The acid (Acetic) remains after evaporation and continues the mold control.

Truth is though, moisture (humidity), temperature, and ventilation are the key factors to prevention.

I've always paid attention to your posts and have the greatest respect for your knowledge. I have quite a bit of knowledge on this subject.

Bob

[Lee]

I won't dispute vinegar. Neither will I dispute bleach. For hazardous bodily fluids remediation, it is recommended a diluted bleach solution, sprayed on, let sit 15 minutes, wipe up. That's blood, etc, and mold may be much different. That said, they are saying dilute the bleach from the bottle(disremember the ratio). That implies that bleach is pretty strong stuff. Whatever you use, also consider the possible corrosive effects to any metal that may be contacted by your efforts.
Good luck!

[edler7]

they are saying dilute the bleach from the bottle(disremember the ratio).

Hospitals use 10% solution...1 part bleach, 9 parts water.

[MT Gianni]

Not all black molds are the extremely toxic kind. I would get the ducts cleaned professionally. and replace filters weekly until they get there.

[crazy mark]

We use a biocide on dirty A/C units at work. This is in a hospital. Surprising what will try to grow now days. Usually common mould spores that are in the air but we treat for all of them. We have red pads we put in the drain pans also.

[geargnasher]

Not all black molds are the extremely toxic kind. I would get the ducts cleaned professionally. and replace filters weekly until they get there.

+1, need to have it tested. Could be just a nuisance you can take care of yourself, or a real health problem for pros.

"Black mold" became such a scam here in Texas I believe most insurance companies specifically deny any sort of coverage now involving mold remediation.

Gear

[Recluse]

I've found hydrogen peroxide to be pretty effective in killing off mold.

:coffee:

[crabo]

Doesn't Home Depot carry a kit for testing for mold?

[btroj]

I would have it tested. Some molds are pretty nasty.

Since nobody else said it I will, have you tried casting any Boolits in your mold yet?

[44man]

Thanks guys, I think vinegar would be the best so bleach does not leak from the air ports. I might have to replace the flex lines.

[41 mag fan]

Just remember to wear a respirator while spraying the vinegar, so you don't inhale any mold spores that are released into the air

[Crawdaddy]

I dont know anything about HVAC but I can tell you first hand you want to get it fixed quickly. I lived in Oregon and mold got into my house. It was very expensive to fix and made it hard to sell the house.

[Recluse]

"Black mold" became such a scam here in Texas I believe most insurance companies specifically deny any sort of coverage now involving mold remediation.

Gear

+ about one-million on that.

I never seen a bigger scam. Yeah, TRUE black mold can be ugly, but every news station and hypochondriac in Texas would look at ANYTHING black in a house--from scruff marks to magic-marker scrawl to actual mold itself--and declare it Satan's own spawned mold.

A host of folks made some serious money ripping off the insurance companies on that one, including unscrupulous home-owners.

It was like a field of dreams for hypochondriacs.

:coffee:

[44man]

We use a biocide on dirty A/C units at work. This is in a hospital. Surprising what will try to grow now days. Usually common mould spores that are in the air but we treat for all of them. We have red pads we put in the drain pans also.
Where would I get the biocide and pads?

[Jeffrey]

Where would I get the biocide and pads?

Grainger industrial supply definately. http://www.grainger.com
But they don't sell to anyone without an account. Air conditioning supply houses policies on selling to the public vary by the business. Many will sell to the public things other than refrigerant.

[44man]

Grainger industrial supply definately. http://www.grainger.com
But they don't sell to anyone without an account. Air conditioning supply houses policies on selling to the public vary by the business. Many will sell to the public things other than refrigerant.
Yeah, account. Used to have one long ago when I worked at UAL. I will check them anyway, thanks.

[Lloyd Smale]

my hunting partner about died this spring for a fugus infection. doctor said he breathed it in somewhere but he doesnt know where. He had his house checked and it was ok. He spend 2 weeks in the hospital in intensive care and two more weeks after they let him out of intesive care. It effected his lungs so badly that he still has a slight speach impedement from the lack of oxygen to his brain. It surely is nothing to fool with or take a chance on.